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March 15, 2017

EPP Faculty Featured Prominently at CMU Energy Week

The second annual CMU Energy Week kicks off March 27. This campus-wide event held in Pittsburgh is organized by the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, and focuses on five themes: the Future of Energy, Innovation, Research, Policy, and Education. EPP faculty will be sharing their work and fostering dialogue about energy issues during this week-long celebration.

Energy Week Law and Policy Forum: Oil and Gas Production and Transportation Panel

Jay Apt, panelist

Much of the laws and regulations governing the production and transportation of oil and gas in this region was developed long before the recent boom in production from the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations. Courts and regulators in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New York have significantly changed oil and gas law in this region as they grapple with the issues of horizontal wells, hydraulic fracturing, pooling of leases into production units, the impact of post-production costs on royalties, the impact of increased production on interstate pipelines and many other issues.

Energy Week Law and Policy Forum: Decarbonization of Electric Generation Panel

Inês Azevedo, panelist

Electricity generation in the United States is undergoing a significant transformation as utilities are shifting rapidly to reduce the carbon emissions of their generating portfolios. This transformation is driven to some extent by environmental regulations (including EPA’s Clean Power Plan) and utility procurement obligations such as renewable portfolio standards, but is also driven to a large extent by economic forces, as shale gas development has resulted in a plentiful and relatively cheap supply of natural gas and the costs of wind and solar generation continue to decline through improved technology and economies of scale, resulting in displacement of coal-fired generation.

E3 Technology Investor Conference - Panel I : Future of Clean Technology

Jared Cohon, moderator

The E3 (Energy, Environment, and Equity) Technology Investors Conference is sponsored by the Energy Innovation Center and Carnegie Mellon's Scott Institute for Energy Innovation.

Panel: From Gasland to Promised Land: Hollywood and Hydraulic Fracturing

Joel Tarr, panelist

During this roundtable a handful of film scholars and historians will consider the local, global, and racial implications of the emergence of Pittsburgh as an “Energy Capital.” Panelists will frame this conversation through two Pennsylvania-based films: the 2010 documentary "Gasland," which follows director Josh Fox on a 24-state investigation of the environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing, and the 2012 film "Promised Land," a semi-fictional tale of two corporate salespeople who visit a rural town in an attempt to buy drilling rights from the local residents.

“Andy Talks” on Innovative Research

Andy Talks are brief 20 minute talks by CMU faculty, moderated by Dr. Jared Cohon.

Erica Fuchs: The Material Future: How our Job, Energy, and National Security Depend on Who Makes What

Jeanne VanBriesen: Resources, Rivers, and Regrets: How Energy Choices Affect Drinking Water